Spanish/Hispanic Studies Fall 2019 Applications

[Renzi]

29 minutes ago, Ciboney said:

Yes. It was a nice, calm celebration at home, with pizza and very strong Canadian beer! My spirit is relieved now that I know for sure where I am going (and it turned out to be my number one choice). I do not have to wait for others in this game. It feels so good to be the one in a position of power now. (Not that I am into sadomasochism or anything like that... ? ) 

Nothing on your side of the court? No recent news?

 

Awesome! I wish I were in the same mood. haha. And no, no news on my side. Actually, I'm not so confident anymore I'm going to make it this time. It had been my plan to start the PhD in September, but I have already started to remake my plans for the next months and be prepared to start everything again at the end of the year. I have learned a lot about the application process after I submitted all my applications, and I think that, in the case I'm not admitted this year, my chances could increase reasonably next time. Well, of course I'm praying for good news to come; at the same time, I'm trying to be mentally prepared for more rejections. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by Renzi

[Ciboney]

On 2/17/2019 at 10:24 AM, Renzi said:

I have learned a lot about the application process after I submitted all my applications, and I think that, in the case I'm not admitted this year, my chances could increase reasonably next time. Well, of course I'm praying for good news to come; at the same time, I'm trying to be mentally prepared for more rejections. 

Renzi: If you go through the process again, my advice would be to examine good programs nationwide, and not to limit yourself to certain schools exclusively (that is, Ivy League or the likes of Berkeley and others). There are excellent programs with decent financial aid and lower costs of living that foreigners are not aware of, but hopefully will consider in the future. When schools have 70 applicants for 3-4 spaces, chances are ... One of many factors to consider for me, I think I have said before, was the cost of living. Paying $2,000 or $3,000 a month for rent on a teaching assistantship income is ridiculous. And some universities offer small apartments for US$800 or US$1,000 with electricity and Internet included. Also, the "university fees" that are not covered by "full funding". I am not sure, but I think foreign students also have to pay taxes here on their stipends. And then there is the placement record; for most people, what is the use of going to certain universities whose graduates cannot find a good job? 

I am particularly attracted to graduate programs that offer free beer for their teaching assistants on Fridays. ?

[Renzi]

4 hours ago, Ciboney said:

Renzi: If you go through the process again, my advice would be to examine good programs nationwide, and not to limit yourself to certain schools exclusively (that is, Ivy League or the likes of Berkeley and others). There are excellent programs with decent financial aid and lower costs of living that foreigners are not aware of, but hopefully will consider in the future. When schools have 70 applicants for 3-4 spaces, chances are ... One of many factors to consider for me, I think I have said before, was the cost of living. Paying $2,000 or $3,000 a month for rent on a teaching assistantship income is ridiculous. And some universities offer small apartments for US$800 or US$1,000 with electricity and Internet included. Also, the "university fees" that are not covered by "full funding". I am not sure, but I think foreign students also have to pay taxes here on their stipends. And then there is the placement record; for most people, what is the use of going to certain universities whose graduates cannot find a good job? 

Thanks, Ciboney!  I'll take all that into consideration if I end up not being admitted this time. Actually I wanted to apply for at least 5 universities, as most of my American friends suggested me, but I couldn't afford all the fees. Let's see what happens now. 

4 hours ago, Ciboney said:

I am particularly attracted to graduate programs that offer free beer for their teaching assistants on Fridays. ?

OMG that would be my dream! hahaha

[FHG]

I already posted in the results page, but I finally received my rejection from Columbia! I also put in an application for their MA, so now I have to wait to hear back about that.

[Ciboney]

28 minutes ago, FHG said:

I already posted in the results page, but I finally received my rejection from Columbia! I also put in an application for their MA, so now I have to wait to hear back about that.

Rejection was for the doctorate? You applied to the same university for a Master's as well? In different fields or departments, I assume. What fields were those? Do you have any applications or offers of acceptance besides Columbia?

 

[Larra88]

Hi there! Any news from Nothwestern?

[marioncrane131]

I've been accepted in Iowa! I totally shocked because the offer is soooo good and my advisor would be a person who I really really admire, but the city seems so small and quiet, I don't know if I could be living there 5 years... Do you know anything about this university/program to help me to dissipate my doubts?

[FHG]

18 hours ago, Ciboney said:

Rejection was for the doctorate? You applied to the same university for a Master's as well? In different fields or departments, I assume. What fields were those? Do you have any applications or offers of acceptance besides Columbia?

 

The rejection was for the Latin American and Iberian Cultures PhD, but I also submitted a secondary application for the MA in Hispanic Cultural studies in case I was rejected for the PhD. The secondary application was easy to submit and didn't cost any more, so I didn't see any reason not to. I can't imagine I'll do the MA if I get in though, since they pretty much told me it would be unfunded, and I've thankfully been accepted to Ohio State and Stony Brook's PhDs and Indiana's MA.

[Ciboney]

22 minutes ago, marioncrane131 said:

I've been accepted in Iowa! I totally shocked because the offer is soooo good and my advisor would be a person who I really really admire, but the city seems so small and quiet, I don't know if I could be living there 5 years... Do you know anything about this university/program to help me to dissipate my doubts?

Marion: Congratulations on Iowa! Iowa City is a GREAT little city, from what I have heard in the past. Small, but remember that good perfume comes in small bottles. Also, the program at Iowa is highly regarded. The city is and university are very "progressive". I would not have minded being accepted there. Iowa, though, is highly conservative in the rural areas, but you did not have any problems in Alabama, right? I would suggest reading as much as you can today in searches in the Internet. Like Madison in Wisconsin, Iowa City used to have a very high "quality of life" index in the USA. There are several of these lists (given how diverse the USA is), but here is one of them. Remember what some of us were saying about the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul), check them out in this particular list. (There are others.) https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/27/cities-quality-of-life_n_5718585.html

 

[Ciboney]

38 minutes ago, FHG said:

 I've thankfully been accepted to Ohio State and Stony Brook's PhDs and Indiana's MA.

Good! Both are very good programs for literature/culture. Indiana is excellent and a great campus and place to live.

[Larra88]

43 minutes ago, FHG said:

I 've thankfully been to Ohio State and Stony Brook's PhDs and Indiana's MA.

FHG: Congratulations! I do not know about Stony Brook but Ohio State and Indiana are both great schools! 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Larra88

[Ciboney]

16 hours ago, Larra88 said:

Hi there! Any news from Nothwestern?

Yes, they invited me to campus with all paid expenses. I declined the invitation. I already accepted my top choice; it is not fair for other people waiting if one already knows where one is going.

[FHG]

53 minutes ago, Ciboney said:

Good! Both are very good programs for literature/culture. Indiana is excellent and a great campus and place to live.

50 minutes ago, Larra88 said:

FHG: Congratulations! I do not know about Stony Brook but Ohio State and Indiana are both great schools! 

Thank you both! I'm very excited about them, and Stony Brook actually gave me the best offer.

[Larra88]

1 hour ago, Ciboney said:

Yes, they invited me to campus with all paid expenses. I declined the invitation. I already accepted my top choice; it is not fair for other people waiting if one already knows where one is going.

Oh, that is nice of you. Are you from the States? 

 

I have not hear from Northwestern. I just recived an offer from Ohio State though, and I am in the wait list of UCDavis, WashU, and Urbana, but I think that I am going to University of Michigan...

Edited February 19, 2019 by Larra88

[Ciboney]

1 hour ago, Larra88 said:

Oh, that is nice of you. Are you from the States?

Yes I am. A Spanish-speaking gringo. I am in the New England area of the mainland US. If you were accepted at Michigan (which was among the top of my list!), it should be between Ohio State and Michigan, in my opinion. Más vale pájaro en mano que cien volando. Ann Arbor is a great place to live and Michigan is a great program, although I found it to be "a little bit snobbish mixed with a couple of way-too-leftist-for-my-taste faculty members." Yet most of the faculty seemed very, very good to study with! I find it so ironic that I was rejected by Michigan, but I got in at Northwestern. It's a lottery, like I have said before.

[QuieroCafe]

Holaaa,

¿Alguien ha hecho su Máster en España? Me estoy preguntando cómo van los programas, si puedo estudiar literatura española, etc. Si sí, ¿me puedes contar a cuál universidad asististe u cuáles son muy buenas para poder estudiar eso?

 

También, ¿cuántos estamos esperando una respuesta de UIUC? ✋ ¿O información acerca de un TAship? Yo pensaba que iba a recibir esa información al mismo tiempo que me aceptó una universidad, pero no...me está quitando la ilusion!

 

¡Mucho ánimo!

[marioncrane131]

Hola @QuieroCafe yo soy de España y estudié allí mi undergrad y máster, si tienes alguna pregunta sobre alguna ciudad/universidad concreta, no dudes en preguntarme  Eso sí, en España no existen los TA y es muy muy complicado conseguir la más mínima financiación para un PhD...

 

Thanks for sharing the info @Ciboney. it's complicated for me living in Alabama, tbh. that's why I don't feel pretty attracted to small places/very conservatives... But Iowa seems a good option tho. I will consult it with my pillow!

[Ciboney]

6 hours ago, QuieroCafe said:

¿O información acerca de un TAship? Yo pensaba que iba a recibir esa información al mismo tiempo que me aceptó una universidad, pero no...me está quitando la ilusion!

Se supone, de acuerdo a lo normal, que le informen a uno de la asistencia económica cuando le informan a uno que lo/la han admitido. O, por lo menos, que admitan a uno y le digan que le informarán sobre cualquier tipo de ayuda en X o Y tiempo. 

[Ciboney]

2 hours ago, marioncrane131 said:

Thanks for sharing the info @Ciboney. it's complicated for me living in Alabama, tbh. that's why I don't feel pretty attracted to small places/very conservatives... But Iowa seems a good option tho. I will consult it with my pillow!

Marion: Por si ayuda en algo... Es una opinión, pero siempre he oído y leído más o menos lo mismo de o en todos lados. Y que es super liberal. No hay comparación con Alabama, que es uno de los estados y territorios que son polos opuestos a los estados de Nueva Inglaterra o los de la Costa Oeste. Si yo le dijese a alguien aquí que voy para Alabama se echaría a reir. Bueno he aquí una información que creo que te va a gustar y a poner de buen humor... (Tiene muchas fotos.)

https://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/move-to-iowa-city/

Edited February 20, 2019 by Ciboney

[Borderlands1809]

Any news from UCLA?

[malinche]

¡Hola! I'm biting my nails bc I have not received any email: neither rejection nor waitlisting from my desired destiantions. However, some people have been rejected/accepted on those universities, Would you suggest emailing the admission's person? Gracias.

[Ciboney]

1 hour ago, malinche said:

¡Hola! I'm biting my nails bc I have not received any email: neither rejection nor waitlisting from my desired destiantions. However, some people have been rejected/accepted on those universities, Would you suggest emailing the admission's person? Gracias.

Yo definitivamente le escribiría un mensajito al coordinador del programa graduado, si es que otra gente ya ha recibido rechazos u ofertas de esas instituciones, pidiéndole que te pongan al día sobre el estatus de tu solicitud. ?

[Lazarillo]

Hey you all!

As well as many others, I have also been lurking around for a while now and this forum has been of great help to feel less lonely during this weird process

I'm an international student, I've been accepted to four universities (including Brown and Yale plus UC Santa Barbara and Notre Dame). I'm waiting on Stanford. Two days ago I received a response where they said: "we are finalizing our decisions and expect to have our decision notifications out this week".

What I wanted to know was what's so wrong about these universities? You've all been mentioning many institutions, but none of the Ivys or Stanford, for instance (except for Columbia). I've heard of the scandals at Yale, but is it so bad? Should I not even consider accepting their offer?

Thank you for your help! I'm honestly lost at this.

 

 

 

 

[Ciboney]

12 minutes ago, Lazarillo said:

What I wanted to know was what's so wrong about these universities? You've all been mentioning many institutions, but none of the Ivys or Stanford, for instance (except for Columbia). I've heard of the scandals at Yale, but is it so bad? Should I not even consider accepting their offer?

I did not apply to any of those you mentioned. It is entirely your decision to accept or not. The only information I had was what I already shared about Yale. Perhaps it would help to contact the graduate students there and ask them if they are willing their advice with you by either email or by phone. And be direct about the politics and rivalries at Yale. Maybe they have improved after 3 years or so. Or maybe not. It was quite public, considering this happens in other places as well but applicants or people do not find out. Maybe YOU should contact the chair or the graduate coordinator directly and "interview" them focusing on the negative publicity. From my point of view, I think your are entitled to that "talk" with them, like programs want to interview candidates about some issues. That is all that comes to mind.

Perhaps those who applied to the programs you mention can offer some information. ?

And thanks for letting me know that people actually check our chatting here. I initiated this threat last December for us precisely. I am very proud that some people have found it useful. I checked other similar threads from past years. This has been the most active by far. And we joke a little here. 

[lola26]

Anyone interviewed with Stanford's ILAC? Trying to figure out if they interview their top candidates like Berkeley or if they based their decision entirely on the written application materials.